Fanny Brice was a highly influential and celebrated American entertainer, renowned for her remarkable talents as a comedienne, singer, theatre and film actress. Throughout her illustrious career, she made numerous stage, radio, and film appearances, leaving an indelible mark on the entertainment industry. Her most iconic achievement remains the creation and starring role in the top-rated radio comedy series, The Baby Snooks Show.
Thirteen years after her passing, Brice's life was immortalized on the Broadway stage by the incomparable Barbra Streisand in the hit musical, Funny Girl. The show was later adapted into a film in 1968, further cementing Brice's legacy. Born Fania Borach in New York City, she was the third child of Rose (Stern) and Charles Borach, owners of a prosperous saloon with Hungarian Jewish heritage.
In 1908, Brice left school to pursue a career in burlesque, and two years later, she began her association with the legendary Florenz Ziegfeld, headlining his Ziegfeld Follies from 1910 to the 1930s. Her performance in the 1921 Follies, featuring the hit song "My Man," became a signature moment in her career, and she recorded the song for Victor Records, earning a posthumous Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
Brice recorded nearly two dozen sides for Victor and several for Columbia, with "Second Hand Rose" being another song closely associated with her. Her filmography includes My Man (1928),Be Yourself! (1930),and Everybody Sing (1938),which featured a young Judy Garland. Brice, along with Ray Bolger and Harriet Hoctor, was one of the few original Ziegfeld performers to portray themselves in The Great Ziegfeld (1936) and Ziegfeld Follies (1946).
For her significant contributions to the motion picture industry, Brice has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at MP 6415 Hollywood Boulevard, a testament to her enduring impact on the world of entertainment.
